Mike Starr's death proves why "Celebrity Rehab" should stay alive [video]
When I turn on "Celebrity Rehab" or "Sober House," it's not as a reality TV junkie. It's not even for the big names and dramatic scenes or to see who vomits or cries or spills their painful childhood stories in group. I'm a viewer who loves someone who is a recovering addict. These shows are a reminder of how fragile addiction and even recovery can be.
That fragility was apparent Tuesday afternoon with the death of 44-year old Mike Starr. The former bassist for Alice in Chains stepped back in the spotlight to bare his substance abuse, guilt over not saving the life of bandmate Layne Staley (Staley fatally overdosed in 2002 at the age of 34), multiple heart-stopping overdoses, and intense (even frightening) withdrawal symptoms. The experiences he detailed -- like being shot up with heroin multiple times by Kurt Cobain and Layne Staley after a show with Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers -- were horrifying to hear. His time in rehab was unnerving to watch. Still, there seemed to be this hope. If Crazy Town frontman Seth Binzer could get clean, maybe Starr could be OK, too.
Although Mike Starr followed up his time in "Celebrity Rehab" with time in Dr. Drew's "Sober House" clean-living facility, he continued to struggle with his addiction. Several weeks ago, he was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance, now reported to be the painkiller Opana and the anti-anxiety medication Xanax, and an outstanding warrant for not appearing at sentencing for a separate drug conviction in 2003.
Starr was found dead in a Salt Lake City residence. An autopsy report has not yet been revealed but his roommate told TMZ Starr took both anti-anxiety medication and methadone in his final hours. His roommate said, "Mike was a beautiful person who was fighting to stay sober... I am going to miss him greatly."
Starr's father, with whom he admitted using and was arrested with in 2003, said, "It's a terrible shock and tragedy."
Castmates and other celebrities memorialized him on Twitter, causing #RIPMikeStarr to quickly become a trending topic online. Among them, was Dr. Drew.
Also present on Twitter was voice of reason by professional wrestler Chris Jericho: "Sorry to hear about Mike Starr's death. Amid all of the joking about tiger blood and winning, let's not forget that drugs kill people."
This is what crosses my mind with every episode of "Celebrity Rehab." It's also what makes me feel humbled and grateful for every day of the 14 years and 8 months that the person I love has been clean. Recovery became a source of strength for my whole family, but it could have quickly and easily turned into a story like Mike Starr's.
"Celebrity Rehab" is still reality TV. But it captures the rollercoaster of pain and relief in a way that is rare on-screen. It also has, by being on VH1 and using the authority and youth-appeal of Dr. Drew, sent a message to an audience that shows like "Intervention" may not reach.
I've certainly had my questions each season -- Why was Kari Ann Peniche allowed to repeatedly return after being abusive so many times? What was really going on with Mindy McCready's seizure and denial of having a substance abuse issue? Why did Mackenzie Phillips and Daniel Baldwin need to be there if they already had accumulated several months of sobriety each? -- but believe that the value of the program is worth wondering about the boundaries of the Pasadena Recovery Center, Dr. Drew, and the producers of the show.
Drew Grant at Salon.com doesn't agree. Grant writes that the show should be shut down because of a "warped sense of priorities" -- exemplified by putting celebrities who struggle with addiction alongside celebrities like Rachel Uchitel (best known as the first named mistress of Tiger Woods, although his name was never mentioned on the show), who was brought in for an addiction to love, as well as others who have already been in treatment or have long-term sobriety (Grant mentions Gary Busey and Daniel Baldwin here).
"The emphasis of the show has shifted from drug and alcohol treatment to creating the perfect storm of volatile and absurd characters in order to remain entertaining and bring viewers back week to week. And that's not helping anyone recover," Grant writes. It also, Grant says, perpetuates the "celebrity narcissism" that Dr. Drew helped define, dilutes the seriousness and value of treating addiction on TV.
Grant has a point. That point is certainly illustrated by White House party-crasher and "Real Housewives of D.C." star Michaele Salahi, who was brought on to the cast for the upcoming season of "Celebrity Rehab" and then was dismissed because "professional assessments found that she did not meet" criteria of having a substance abuse or addiction issue. (A rep for the show says Salahi mislead producers while her husband Tareq says he is going to expose the show for unfairly firing his wife, who needs treatment to deal with the stress of having Multiple Sclerosis.)
Does the show look for names that will attract attention (Uchitel) and personalities that will amp up the dramatic tension (like high-conflict former lovers Tom Sizemore and Heidi Fleiss)? Of course. But even when Uchitel's vague addiction to love was cited, the peek in her medicine cabinet full of prescriptions and stories about taking lots of Ambien screamed spoke to other abuses. Ditto for McCready.
Perhaps Mackenzie Phillips really needed the time in treatment. Perhaps there was some all-out effort to serve Kari Ann well, not just taking care of ratings.
I'm not Dr. Drew or any of the other staffers and medical consultants on the show. I'm not an addiction specialist, and so I won't make that judgment. It's not up to us to decide who has the serious addiction issue or needs treatment on this show.
Grant says "Celebrity Rehab" needs to decide whether it is a show to treat drug and alcohol addicts or to treat people addicted to fame, and until then, Dr. Drew is "not helping anyone."
No matter why they were there, Uchitel, Busey, Baldwin, and many other graduates of the show, unlike Mike Starr, are still alive.
And when I call my loved one to say, "Hey, thanks for being healthy and here" after watching A- (or even D-) listers on their recovery ride, I can vouch for the value of keeping the show breathing.
Watch this video recap of Mike Starr's recovery on "Celebrity Rehab":
